Phalaenopsis orchid plant named &#39;136633&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Phalaenopsis  plant named ‘Easter Egg’ particularly characterized by flowers which are violet/pink with a white blush in the center; a slightly darker color labellum; plants which may be propagated economically and uniformly using tissue culture; plants which produce more than one inflorescence; long and sturdy inflorescences; and dark-green foliage.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Phalaenopsis

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Easter Egg’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis plant, botanically known as Phalaenopsis of the Orchidaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Easter Egg’.

Phalaenopsis comprises a genus of about 55 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivation in the home or greenhouse. Phalaenopsis is predominantly epiphytic or rock-dwelling, and is native to tropical Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Oceania. The species typically has 2-ranked, fleshy, oblong or elliptic leaves affixed to a short central stem (monopodial growth), which vary in size from 5 to 8 inches to over 2 feet. The leaves may be entirely green or mottled with silver grey.

Phalaenopsis orchids, often referred to as ‘Moth Orchids’ in the horticultural trade, are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted-plants for home or interiorscape.

Phalaenopsis produces upright or pendent lateral racemes, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and three petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petal, called the labellum, is three-lobed and is often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments. Flower colors include various shades of pink, white, yellow and red-brown.

Phalaenopsis orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Phalaenopsis is often done from off-shoots which frequently arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plant and may be planted in a suitable substrate.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Easter Egg’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor, René Schoone, in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new Phalaenopsis cultivar particularly characterized by its attractive and unique colored flowers, economical propagation via tissue culture, rapid growth, and a plant dimension suitable for packaging and shipping to the market.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘Easter Egg’ originated from a cross made by the inventor in 1998 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Otohime’, unpatented. The male or pollen parent is the Phalaenopsis cultivar designated ‘Happy Smile’, unpatented. The new Phalaenopsis ‘Easter Egg’ was discovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2006 in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phalaenopsis cultivar by tissue culture was first performed in January, 2006 in Cieweg 13, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘Easter Egg’, which in combination distinguish this Phalaenopsis as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. flowers which are violet/pink with a white blush in the         center; a slightly darker color labellum     -   2. plant produces more than one inflorescence;     -   3. plants may be propagated economically and uniformly using         tissue culture;     -   4. inflorescence is long and sturdy     -   5. dark-green foliage         Presently, there is no commercial cultivar to which ‘Easter Egg’         can be meaningfully compared.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phalaenopsis ‘Easter Egg’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘Easter Egg’.

FIG. 1 shows a side view perspective of a typical flowering plant of ‘Easter Egg’ in a 12 cm pot, at 16 months of age.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the typical flowers of ‘Easter Egg’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the typical leaves of ‘Easter Egg’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Phalaenopsis cultivar ‘Easter Egg’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of ‘Easter Egg’ as grown in a greenhouse in Strengweg, Heemskerk, The Netherlands, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. Initially, the ideal temperature to grow plants of ‘Easter Egg’ is 27° C. during the day and at night. Then, during the flowering phase of ‘Easter Egg’, the ideal growing temperature is 20-22° C. during the day and 18° C. at night. Light levels for growing ‘Easter Egg’ are a minimum of 5,000 lux and a maximum of 10,000 lux. A balanced fertilizer with level of 200 ppm N, 87 ppm P, 168 ppm K is applied. Duration of growth of ‘Easter Egg’ from potting size is between 10 and 14 months.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), 2007 edition, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions at approximately noon in Zaandammerweg, Assendelft, The Netherlands. The age of the ‘Easter Egg’ plants described is 12 months after potting.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Phalaenopsis. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated             ‘Otohime’, unpatented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar designated             ‘Happy Smile’, unpatented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—tissue culture.         -   Rooting habit and description.—Fleshy; approximately 5 mm-7             mm wide and green in color; freely branching. It takes 12             weeks for plants growing in tissue culture to initiate             roots. -   Plant:     -   -   Size at maturity.—Height: about 60 cm Spread: about 40 cm to             50 cm.         -   Growth habit.—standard; dark-green leaves and a relatively             normal raceme.         -   Vigor.—moderate.         -   Crop time.—Following asexual propagation, at about 26 weeks             2 leaves appear; at about 30 weeks 3-4 leaves appear; after             a cold treatment of about 4-8 weeks at a temperature of             about 19° C. about 2 peduncles with flowers appear. -   Foliage:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—About 6 to 8 leaves are produced before             flowering.         -   Arrangement and attachment.—half up/horizontal and on two             sides.         -   Overall shape of leaf.—oval, the tip is blunt and             asymmetric.         -   Texture.—smooth and leathery.         -   Pubescence.—3 to 4 pairs of leaves.         -   Mature leaf length.—about 22 cm.         -   Mature leaf width.—about 9 to 10 cm.         -   Mature leaf thickness.—about 2 mm.         -   Mature leaf color.—RHS N137B.         -   Venation.—Pattern: parallel Color of midvein: dark green. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—about 1 to 2.         -   Number of flowers per peduncle.—about 5 to 15.         -   Length.—about 40 to 60 cm.         -   Diameter.—about 6 mm.         -   Strength.—strong.         -   Aspect.—upright.         -   Texture.—glabrous and smooth.         -   Color.—dark green.         -   Internode.—Length: about 40 mm to 60 mm. -   Inflorescence description: -   Appearance: Upright to slightly pendant, racemose inflorescence with     bilaterally symmetrical flowers that open in succession beginning     with the lowermost flower. -   Inflorescence size:     -   -   Height (from base to tip).—about 15 mm to 22 mm.         -   Diameter (at midpoint).—about 13 mm to 19 mm. -   Flowering time: For an untreated plant (flowering plant that has not     undergone cold-treatment where the plant grows at a temperature of     18° C. to 19° C. for about 4 to 8 weeks after a period of about 30     weeks at a temperature of 25° C.), 2 racemes appear with about 16 to     20 flower buds and flowers per inflorescence. First flowers can be     expected approximately 4 to 6 months after planting a plant with a     leaf diameter of 3 to 5 cm. Flowers persistent. -   Flowering longevity: On the plant: about 4 to 6 months; lastingness     of cut flowers: has not been observed -   Fragrance: No fragrance -   Flower:     -   -   Rate of opening.—Flowers fully opened about 2 to 3 days             after tepal separation.         -   Orientation at opening.—slanted upward and outward.         -   Shape.—see picture.         -   Size.—Height: about 75 mm Diameter: about 95 mm Depth of             tube: about 15 mm. -   Tepals:     -   -   Quantity and arrangement.—six tepals that are trimerous,             overlapping and arranged in 2 whorls. Petals are more             pronounced than sepals. -   Petals:     -   -   Arrangement.—Inner whorl of tepals comprises 3 petals, 2             lateral petals and labellum.         -   2 lateral petals.—Overall shape: broadly ovate and weakly             cupped Apex: oval Margin: weakly undulate Length: about 65             mm Width: about 45 mm Texture: Upper surface: smooth and             satiny Under surface: smooth and satiny Color (when fully             opened): Main color is purple RHS N80 B. At the base is a             white blush RHS NN155D Labellum: Overall shape: 3-lobed with             2 prominent callosities at central junction of the lateral             lobes and base of the midlobe. Lateral lobes of labellum             fold upward about the column; the midlobe extends forward             and is terminated by 2 short filiform appendages at the             apex. Lateral lobes of the labellum are ovate in shape while             the midlobe is triangular with a bump and a rib on it             Margin: entire and weakly undulate Length: about 19 mm Width             (not flattened): about 28 mm Texture: Upper surface: smooth             and satiny Color (when fully opened): It has 3 colors. The             main color of the midlobe and the spots in the center is             purple, RHS 71B. The color in the center of the midlobe and             the cirrhi is yellow, RHS 12A. The main color of the lateral             lobes is purple, RHS 71B. There is also some white RHS             NN155C with some red/purple stripes, RHS 64A. -   Sepals:     -   -   Arrangement.—Outer whorl of tepals comprises 3 sepals.         -   Overall shape.—elliptical and weakly cupped Length: about 40             mm Width: about 34 mm to 39 mm Texture: Upper surface:             smooth and satiny Color (when fully opened): The main color             is RHS N80B. At the base the spots are RHS 71B and some             white RHS NN155D. -   Reproductive organs: -   Arrangement: The stamens, style and stigmas are fused into a single,     short structure called the column, possessing one terminal anther     with pollen grains united into a pollinia, which are covered by an     anther cap. The stigma is located under the column behind the     pollinia. The ovary is inferior with three carpels present. The     plant has not produced seed. -   Column:     -   -   Length.—about 9 mm.         -   Diameter.—about 6 mm.         -   Color.—RHS N78C. -   Pollinia:     -   -   Quantity.—Two.         -   Size.—about 1 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 17A. -   Ovary:     -   -   Length.—about 5 mm.         -   Diameter.—about 6 mm to 7 mm. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Length.—about 40 mm tot 60 mm.         -   Diameter.—about 4 mm. -   Disease/pest resistance/susceptibility: No specific resistance or     susceptibility observed -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerant to a low temperature of about 15° C.     and to a high temperature about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Phalaenopsis plant named ‘Easter Egg’, as illustrated and described herein. 